Uchiha Kyosuke, Uchiha Keiichi, and Uchiha Ryuhei knelt on the ground, begging Sora not to kill any more of their clansmen.
Sora crouched in front of the three, his cold eyes examining them as he spoke. "Though you three have followed me before, it doesn't mean there's any friendship between us. You cannot speak for the other Uchiha. They must decide for themselves."
Sora's gaze shifted to Uchiha Fugaku.
Fugaku was staring blankly at the corpses on the ground, his breathing heavy and labored.
Some Uchiha shinobi were still shouting, demanding to fight Sora.
"Enough! Everyone, be quiet!" Fugaku's hoarse roar cut through the air.
As the recognized future leader of the Uchiha clan, his voice carried authority, and the shouting immediately stopped.
With heavy steps, Fugaku approached Sora. Looking at the man before him—especially at the pair of Mangekyō Sharingan that all Uchiha shinobi coveted—Fugaku's eyes filled with hatred, sorrow, and a hint of jealousy.
"We Uchiha will obey your command," Fugaku said hoarsely.
Sora didn't answer immediately. Instead, he flicked the blood from his ninja-tō and said, "I didn't want things to go this far. I gave you many opportunities, but you Uchiha shinobi are truly stubborn. I'm actually quite generous, so I'll give you another chance—but can you truly speak for all the Uchiha?"
"I can," Fugaku stated solemnly.
Sora looked at the Uchiha shinobi who still glared at him and sneered. "Hmph, judging by their expressions, they don't seem convinced."
Fugaku turned around and scolded his clansmen. "What are you doing?! Do you not even listen to my orders? Will you only be satisfied when more of us lie dead?!"
At Fugaku's words, the expressions of all the Uchiha shinobi froze. They glanced at their clan members who lay lifeless on the ground, blood still seeping from their wounds. Their hearts tightened, and one by one, they lowered their heads.
Fugaku turned back to Sora. "I can assure you they will not disobey your orders again."
Sora shook his head.
Seeing this, Fugaku's already grim face became even sterner.
"What more do you want from us, Sora?" Fugaku asked, his voice tense. "We're here to support the war in the Land of Waves. If there's internal conflict, Konoha will be the one to suffer!"
"I believe you," Sora replied calmly, "but I don't believe them. To make me trust them, I propose a simple solution: if any Uchiha disobeys my orders in the future, you will be punished in their place. Can you accept this condition?"
Fugaku's expression changed dramatically.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his clan, but based on his knowledge of them, it was entirely possible that one of them would challenge Sora again.
Sora looked at Fugaku with a smile. "What's wrong? You can't agree?"
Fugaku frowned. "Can you promise not to specifically target my people?"
"I'm not targeting the Uchiha," Sora replied solemnly. "If you had obeyed my orders from the beginning, why would I need to punish anyone? The fault lies with you, doesn't it?
"I'm ordering a direct confrontation with the Kirigakure shinobi not because I trust you Uchiha, but because I believe in your power. The largest clan in Konoha, possessors of the Sharingan—one of the three great dōjutsu—handling some Kirigakure shinobi should be simple for you, right?
"Konoha sent you here for support because they hoped to use your powerful Uchiha shinobi to turn the tide in the Land of Waves. Otherwise, why would Konoha summon you? Are you here for a vacation?
"You think I'm targeting you, but that's only because your perspective is so narrow. Do you think I'm sending you to charge while I stay back and watch? No, I'll be on the battlefield myself, fighting on the front lines. So, Uchiha Fugaku, is there anything else you want to say?"
Fugaku took a deep breath. "Fine! If they disobey your orders in the future, I will accept the punishment!"
Sora smiled. "Very well."
He turned to the Uchiha shinobi standing behind Fugaku. "You all heard him. If you disobey my orders, your clan leader's son will be punished in your place. If something like today happens again, it will be Uchiha Fugaku lying dead on the ground.
"I understand mistakes happen during missions, but if I discover any deliberate disobedience, not only will Uchiha Fugaku suffer, but you won't escape punishment either."
The Uchiha shinobi lowered their heads one by one, not daring to express their anger toward Sora. At the same time, they felt touched that Fugaku was willing to make such a sacrifice for them.
"One more thing," Fugaku said to Sora. "I wish to send someone to return the bodies of our people to Konoha."
Sora waved his hand dismissively. "Not necessary. We'll destroy the Sharingan and find a place to bury them. Don't worry about that matter. Your only task now is to organize your teams according to my requirements and prepare for tomorrow's mission."
Sora clapped his hands. "Alright, everyone is dismissed."
He turned to the other shinobi. "Kubota, arrange rooms for these Uchiha shinobi, and have a few people move these corpses into one of the rooms first. I'll come later to destroy their Sharingan before burial. Don't let the blood flow out—that way, the Uchiha can rest easy."
When his name was called, Nara Kubota snapped out of his daze.
What had just happened had deeply shaken him, especially Sora's ruthless behavior. Kubota was simply terrified.
If the Uchiha shinobi had decided to resist, things would have become truly chaotic. Fortunately, Sora had managed to subdue them.
Looking at the group of Uchiha shinobi, Kubota suddenly felt pity for them. However, Sora's ability to suppress these proud Uchiha was impressive.
The Uchiha shinobi were going to have a difficult time ahead. Thankfully, Kubota wouldn't have to deal with them directly—otherwise, he would certainly become a target of their resentment.
Kubota led the Uchiha shinobi to their quarters.
After other shinobi brought the corpses of the fallen Uchiha to a separate room, Sora arrived and asked everyone else to leave.
Once alone, Sora took out a scroll and summoned several glass bottles containing antiseptic liquid. There were seven corpses in total. Sora carefully extracted each Sharingan and placed them in the seven glass bottles, then sealed them back into the scroll.
Afterward, Sora stuffed something into the empty eye sockets of the seven corpses to make them appear less hollow. He then used a ninjutsu to create the appearance of battle damage on the bodies.
After completing all this, Sora left the room.
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